1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to tea bags and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for encapsulating a tea bag within the bottom of a cup for clean, efficient disposal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world. One convenient way of steeping tea is with a tea bag. Tea bags are conventionally used by placing the tea bag in a cup of hot water, leaving the bag in the cup until the desired strength of tea has been infused and then removing the tea bag from the cup. One drawback to the use of conventional tea bags is their sanitary disposal after use. A further drawback is the mess produced by removing the tea bag from the cup and squeezing the infused tea out of the wet tea bag. A wet tea bag is an unsightly and a messy thing to handle and dispose of. Further, if the tea bag is left in the cup, the tea bag will continue to steep causing the liquid tea to turn bitter.
Various attempts have been made to solve these tea bag problems. For example, British Reference GB-2,174,890 discloses a drinking vessel having tea contained within a bottom portion thereof. British Reference GB-2,178,948 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,782 disclose cups having a beverage sealed into the bottom thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,736 discloses a tea bag made from a material that becomes impervious after prolonged immersion in hot water. British Reference GB-2,229,991 discloses a tea bag attached to a container into which the used tea bag can be returned for later disposal. British References GB-2,174,890, GB-2,178,948 and GB-2,229,991 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,801,736 and 4,061,782 are herein incorporated by reference. While these previous attempts have addressed various aspects of the problems associated with the use of conventional tea bags, none of these attempts has been entirely successful in producing a simple, easy to use device in which the tea bag can be retained in the cup after the desired tea strength is reached without causing the tea to turn bitter and which also provides for quickly and conveniently disposing of the used tea bag and cup.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for infusing an infuser, such as a tea bag, in a liquid which allows the tea bag to be retained within the cup after a desired strength of the beverage has been reached. It is a further object of the invention to provide a device for encapsulating the tea bag within the bottom of a cup.
The beverage device of the present invention comprises a beverage pack for adding flavor to a liquid, such as water. The beverage pack can be a tea bag but is not limited thereto. For instance, the beverage pack can also have coffee or mulling spices, as examples. The beverage device also comprises a shield for encapsulating the beverage pack within a bottom of a vessel, such as a cup. The shield is preferably connected to the beverage pack.